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Galbatorix
Galbatorix is the main antagonist in the Inheritance series. He is a former Dragon Rider who became the king of Alagaësia by force. In the 2006 film, Eragon, he was portrayed by John Malkovich. Galbatorix was portrayed by John Malkovich. Throughout the movie, he is seen giving orders to Durza. In his throne room in the movie, he has a dragon-like throne and a map nearby which, at the end of the movie, he cuts down, revealing Shruikan behind it. He's depicted as calm and very intelligent in the movie and only reveals his frustration at the end of the film after Durza's failure. Most of his backstory was left out and he aims to kill Eragon as well as Saphira, as opposed to trying to use Saphira to recreate the dragons, as is the case in the book. He did, however, refer to Saphira's egg as a "stone", that he "suffers without his stone', as well as that Durza was not to "prolong his suffering". Powers and abilities Edit Galbatorix was arguably the most powerful magician in Alagaësia. Having had thousands of the dragons' Eldunarí under his control, Galbatorix's magical and mental powers were close to unlimited. It is possible that Galbatorix's refused to use his power to forcefully take control of Alagaësia because he didn't want to rule in such a way. Many characters have stated that Galbatorix's powers had been increasing each year. It is hinted that when he discovered the "name of names" (The true name of the Ancient Language) he became more powerful still. Even in his youth, Galbatorix was a prodigy in combat and spellcasting. When Galbatorix and two other Riders were ambushed by Urgals, he alone was able to kill his attackers and survive. He became stronger after learning the Dark Magic and slew many other fully-trained Riders. The only remaining Rider who overcame him in a duel had been Vrael, who lost because he hesitated to deliver the killing blow. In addition, Galbatorix is shown to be a skilled military tactician and political maneuverer and is adept at manipulating people and events. His insanity has evidently not had an effect on his intelligence. Galbatorix is also highly charismatic. Murtagh stated that he was "the most convincing and frightening man I've ever met". His warm, calculated and incredibly attractive voice is considered by many to be one of his deadliest weapons. In "Rider and Ra'zac," the last remaining Ra'zac tells Eragon that Galbatorix has almost discovered "the name," which in Inheritance it is discovered that he has discovered the true name of the Ancient Language, which allows him to do anything, even break an oath sworn in the Ancient Language. WeaknessesEdit For all of Galbatorix's power, his education in magic seems to have been incomplete. He labored under the impression that, once he discovered the true name of the Ancient Language, he would be able to prevent anyone from using magic without his permission. This suggests, as noted by Eragon, that Galbatorix was not aware that it was possible to perform magic non-verbally. During his training, Oromis told Eragon; "Only know this; that which you ask for (non-verbal magic) was not taught to the Riders-and is not taught to our magicians-until they had, and have, mastered every other aspect of magic, for this is the secret to the true nature of magic and the ancient language". He also appears cocky and overconfident in the books. His decision to not attack the Varden personally when Eragon was weak and vulnerable proved to be his ultimate mistake. His decision to wait out and chip away at the Varden while trying to find the Ancient Language's true name gave Eragon time to become more powerful and sure of himself. Galbatorix's possible greatest weakness was his lack of compassion and understanding of love. His continued abuses of Murtagh and Thorn estranged them and his inability to see the effect Nasuada had on Murtagh allowed Murtagh's true name to change. His every act of cruelty gave more power to the Empathy Spell when it was cast, eventually giving it enough power that the pain it caused Galbatorix forced him to destroy himself. Physical appearance Edit In the film, Galbatorix is portrayed as tall, thin and bald with a beard and long, curving nails. He dresses in black armorand has a long black cape, characteristic of villains in fiction. His physical appearance in the books differs wildly, as the film took a lot of creative liberties. Christopher Paoliniillustrated a pen-and-ink portrait of Galbatorix, which appeared in the Deluxe Edition of Brisingr and also in Eragon's Guide to Alagaësia, a sketch that matches the description made of him at the end of Inheritance. In it, he is depicted as a man with long facial features, shoulder-length dark hair, with dark eyes and a worn and aged cloak (cut from one of Belgabad's wings), holding Vrangr in front of him. The book also adds that he is tall, broad-shouldered and well built, features that are not clearly visible on Paolini's drawing. Personality and traits Edit In the early days of his life, Galbatorix was a proud and foolhardy man, a trait that was augmented by his superiority to his peers during their many training sessions. His arrogance was looked upon with caution by a few of the Dragon Riders at the time but ultimately dismissed, consequently leading to their downfall. His recklessness was demonstrated most when he ventured into Urgal territory under the belief that he was strong enough to defend himself. When Jarnunvösk was killed in the ensuing conflict, his mind took its path into madness and insanity. Fractured by the loss of Jarnunvösk, as was a common occurrence upon losing one's dragon, Galbatorix eventually persuaded himself that the Elder Riders were to blame for Jarnunvösk's death. As shown through many of his actions, Galbatorix had a talent for being very manipulative, possessing a genius level of intellect. Indeed, upon returning from his trip to the Spine, he was initially able to convince his fellow Riders that he was calm and capable of dealing with Jarnunvösk's death. It was not until he was brought upon the Council that he was unable to conceal his demented mind from the Riders. At times, he was fully capable of hiding his madness under the guise of a kind, forgiving man fully dedicated to Alagaësia's well-being. At times, he may appear to be a calm, charismatic man, as shown when he attempted to earn Murtagh's trust. Only when his words are denied and his authority rejected does he reveal his true nature and his madness, cursing his enemies and scorning them to death. He is, in reality, easily angered and has a fiery, unmerciful temper. Upon learning of the Ra'zac's death, he slaughtered five of his nearby servants in frustration. When a few Imperial brigades were destroyed nearby, he ordered Murtagh to lay waste to the town of Cantos, a suspected rebel stronghold, as well as have its entire population put to the stake. His cruelty is likely to have been influenced by the dementia formed when Jarnunvösk died, as well as he appears to hold little regard for other beings' lives. During some of Nasuada's chapters in the latest book we learn that Galbatorix seems to have quite a controlling personality as seen when he explains his plans to Nasuada such as wanting to have complete control in the land over magic with nobody being able to use it unless he himself says so. It is also evident in the way that Murtagh has talked about him and especially in the quote "I can't so much as tie up my boots without Galbatorix saying so". His talent for breaking into people's minds stems from the perverse pleasure he finds in the act which makes it far easier for him than most magicians. Despite his insanity and his obvious issues, Galbatorix is apparently a sexually voracious man with a number of concubines kept in his castle to satisfy his sex drive. The fact that they are nothing more to him than concubines shows Galbatorix's inability to care about people due to his lack of emotional intimacy or ties to his concubines. Behind the scenes Edit Motives Edit “Is it evil that he wants to unite Alagaësia under a single banner, eliminate the need for war, and restore the Riders?” — MurtaghThere has been a great deal of discussion among fans about whether or not Galbatorix truly is evil, or if he does have good intentions behind his actions. Some fans believe that his attempt to reestablish the Dragon Riders is proof of this theory. Others say he merely wants to rebuild the Riders to obtain more power for himself and when he creates his new order, he and his Riders would rule in tyranny like he and the Forsworn did in the past. Regardless, when he did have a personal Rider Order through the Forsworn, he did not seem interested in securing peace and prosperity but rather his own dominion through cruel and sadistic methods. Some fans believe: If he was genuine about using the Name of Names to ensure that no magician would be able to harm another person: human, dwarf, or elf. That none would be able to cast a spell without permission and only magics that are benign and beneficial would be allowed. No more would humans or dwarves have to fear elves. No more would Riders be able to impose their will on others. No more would those who cannot use magic be prey for those who can. To create a world where a person will stand or fall based upon the strength of their limbs and the keenness of their mind and not whether chance has granted them skill with magic. For the good of all, he would impose limits upon every magician there is. This would prevent magicians everywhere to continue to have their way, regardless of the harm they cause others. The author, Christopher Paolini, has stated that he enjoys doing what he does, adding on to his sadistic nature and perhaps implying his evil mind. Comparisons Edit How to Train Your Dragon Edit Galbatorix is similar to Drago Bludvist in the How to Train Your Dragon animated movie series. When he was young, persons that were close to him were killed (Galbatorix's first Dragon and Rider friends were killed by Urgals, Drago's family and clan were killed by Dragons) and he was the only man who survived this attack. That loss broke his sanity and he became an evil and mad man with a lust for domination over all Dragons. He found a Dragon hatchling and trained him using cruel methods unlike other Riders (as a result his Dragon became mad), and raised him to enormous size. Using his new power he enslaves minds of other Dragons and abuse them (Galbatorix uses Dark Magic, Drago uses mental ability of his Dragon to control another ones as Alpha Dragon ), becoming a tyrannical warlord who wishes to conquer all of the world's Dragons and with them, conquer the world. He is also convinced that his cruel actions have good motives and will bring a peace to the world. During the story he confronts the main protagonist of the saga (Eragon/ Hiccup) and nearly kills him, but the protagonist survives the battle and defeats him and frees all enslaved Dragons from his control, becoming the leader of all Dragon Riders. The difference is that Galbatorix and his dragon Shruikan have been killed, while Drago and his Bewilderbeast were just injured, lost power and gone away, and their fate is still unresolved. Star Wars Edit Galbatorix is comparable in characterization to Emperor Palpatine of the Star Wars saga: he resembles SenatorPalpatine (Darth Sidious) in his rise to domination and unexpected overthrowing of the established order, replacing it with an Empire. Moreover, like Palpatine, Galbatorix has been shown to have a lust for domination and in some ways, an insane persona. This, along with his calm and charismatic nature that breaks away with an unmerciful temper, has earned him stark similarities with Palpatine. Another character from Star Wars he resembles is Anakin Skywalker. As a Jedi Padawan, he showed great skill, prowess, talent, and potential in his youth, was accepted into the ranks at a young age, gained incredible raw power as he matured, as well as eventually betrayed the order and slew many of his former comrades. In both cases, two of the principal causes were the death of someone close to him and being denied a request by the head Council of their corresponding orders. Harry Potter Edit Galbatorix can also be compared to Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter books. He was a dark lord with unparalleled skill in magic, especially in dark magic, as well as wanted to take over the Earth with the help of his servants, (The Forsworn/Death Eaters) whom he trained in the black arts. Galbatorix also experiments with vessels that held souls, the Eldunarí, just as Voldemort experimented with Horcruxes, which he could use to house his own soul. Both Galbatorix and Voldemort are very charismatic and are able to easily manipulate people's minds. Notes Edit *Eragon's ability to traverse The Spine without incident is in ironic contrast to Galbatorix. In fact the Spine has brought much good fortune to Eragon, while Galbatorix has suffered much because of it. **Galbatorix lost Jarnunvösk in the far northern reaches of the Spine and suffered on the journey back, while Eragon found Saphira's egg there and regularly traveled there to hunt. **Galbatorix lost half of his army there (later revealed to be the result of the Urgals under Nar Tulkhqa and more than half of the army was lost), while Eragon's entire home village was able to travel through it to escape the Ra'zac, with only minimal losses. *He has a few concubines as mentioned by Murtagh to Nasuada in Inheritance. *Like Brom, due to the loss of original dragon, Galbatorix began to age faster than a normal Human Rider (if not as quickly as a normal human), causing him to appear middle-aged. His bond with Shruikan, being unnatural, was not able to stop this process.[2] Role in the series Scrappy Doo disguised himself as Galbatorix.Category:Villains Category:Galbatorix's Empire